The Lion and the Ram
by im-a-tumor
Summary: Aries feels insecurities; it takes a little push to see the shoulder she can cry on. Loki and Aries.


**Loki and Aries, these two are love and about time I write a one-shot!**

**I hope you all enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: Fairy Tail is not mine. **

**OoOoOoO**

She wasn't very beautiful.

At least, Aries felt she wasn't very beautiful.

It didn't help when Aquarius continuously bragged about Scorpio; and sure, he was pretty handsome (she hoped to the Spirit Stellar King that Aquarius would never hear that minute thought), but was having a boyfriend all that wonderful?

He did tell her she was beautiful every time he saw her. And she was beautiful, with a sharp wit and short temper, but still beautiful.

Virgo was also beautiful – heck, she could even change the way she looked to please the one she wanted. And she never cared about all those thoughts about beauty. Virgo's personality was just like that, and Aries also wished she didn't care about these insecurities.

And then there were her masters…

Angel, Karen, so many of them were beautiful women, and her current one, Lucy, was by far the prettiest. Not only was her looks gorgeous, but she was so kind and thoughtful.

Aries sighed as she conjured up a reflection of herself in her Celestial Spirit space. All she saw was a bland girl; bland wool clothes, odd hair, too shy, flaw after flaw.

Why her? Why did she have to be so ugly?

What was she lacking that all those other girls had?

Staring hard at her reflection, she came to one conclusion – it wasn't what she didn't have, it was what she did have.

She had horns, none of those other girls did.

As the ram, she had some pride in her horns, but now they were just the ugliest things in any world to her; sharp, twisted, brown; there was just nothing attractive about them.

These horns, these _stupid_ horns made her ugly!

Aries held back a sob as she reached up and grabbed her horns with her fists. She began to pull them, she just wanted to tear them off; maybe then she would beautiful. Maybe she could be as beautiful Virgo or Aquarius or even Lucy…

Aries bit her lip to keep from screaming as she tugged at her horns, but she let a tear leak out. They just weren't coming off! No, she needed to pull harder.

Pull, _Pull_, PULL!

It hurt, it hurt too much, but she wouldn't stop, not if she wanted to be beautiful. Just as she was about to let out a scream from the pain, not caring if another spirit heard her, when two large hands delicately but firmly removed her hands from her horns.

Looking up, she saw it was the paws of a lion; the Stellar Spirit leader Leo. Loki.

"Aries, what are you doing?" he asked gently, lowering her hands but not letting go. Aries felt ashamed, and couldn't look him in the eye, nor speak because she was afraid she'd start crying.

"Aries?" he asked again.

"I-I'm sorry" she managed to squeak out, beginning to pull away, but Loki didn't let go.

"Aries, what's wrong? What were you trying to do?" he asked, using that _voice_, that same voice he used to enchant women.

"I-I'm s-s-sorry, I…I" Aries whispered, shoulders beginning to shake. He used his thumbs to stroke the side of her hands comfortingly, silently asking her to continue.

"I-I was t-t-trying to…t-to pull off my h-horns…I'm s-sorry!" Aries began to cry, her confession out. She tried to pull away once more, to hide from the shame, especially since Loki, Leo, the one that was closest to her was right there, but he didn't allow her.

Instead, he said just one word: "Why?"

Still crying, she managed to choke out "B-because…because they're ugly! T-they're ugly! And I'm ugly because they're ugly! I…I'm sorry!"

She continued to pull away, but he pulled her hands closer to him, and brought his face closer to hers.

They stood like that for a full minute before he let out a chuckle.

"Huh, strange; I don't see an ugly person in front of me." Aries looked into his eyes, seeing his genuine smile. "I do see, however, a very sweet and kind spirit who has a pretty face and an event prettier heart."

Blushing, Aries turned her face away. "I-I'm sorry, but my horns…"

He let go of one of her hands and brought her chin to face him. "I think your horns are very cute. But more importantly, Aries, your horns make you, you. You're the ram, there's no shame in that. Wear your horns proudly."

Aries began to shake again, and soon enough cry again.

"But they're ugly! I'm ugly! I'm sorry!" she cried.

"Who told you that?" Loki asked his voice now stern.

Aries sniffed, "N-no one, but-"

"Then why are you convinced of it?"

"Just look at me!"

Loki did, and shook his head.

"You're beautiful, Aries, inside and out."

Aries shook her own head, but Loki stopped her.

"You're beautiful, you're gentle and soft-spoken; you always put another's happiness before your own and even more than that," Loki placed his palm above where her heart was, "You have a big shining heart.

"And I'm willing to bet" he continued with a smirk, "that beauty on the inside spilled out to show on the outside."

Aries just looked at him, gaping. She couldn't hold it in. She began to cry even harder.

She cried and cried and placed her head against his chest. She repeated "I'm sorry" as she sobbed, and Loki wrapped his arms around her, holding her in a comforting hug.

"Silly ram; be happy."

"I'm sorry."

**OoOoOoO**

**I think this is the shortest thing I've ever written XD but short and sweet, you can never go wrong!**

**Anyways, I felt I should write this because Aries is one of my favourite spirits (I'm a Scorpio, and I'm not a fan of him, but hey, what the heck). I've actually felt insecure about myself, just like Aries; it happened when my friends and I went out to play laser tag, we walked to the bus stop and I realized I was the only one there without a boyfriend (yes, I was surrounded by 7 couples) and the only thing I could do was laugh it off. But I couldn't shake it off and while it still can bug me today, I try not to let it. I know I have friends that I can lean on, like Aries has Loki. **

**Also, I wanted a similarity to Aries and Lucy, as people beautiful inside and out, for Loki to see Aries like that and convince her of it. Lucy, to me, is also this kind of person and I'm sure that's why Loki loves her. I'm more of a Loki/Aries fan, but I can't deny the feelings Loki has I've left this open so you can decide how to take it, as friends or otherwise. (Obviously, I take it otherwise :D)**

**Drop by a review to let me know what you think of this, Loki/Aries fics are hard to come by. **


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